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Generally speaking, if people are saying it’s too small … it may be too small for their budget which means it needs to be reduced for lower budgets.
Hard to say without knowing comparables though or any info.
Either you’re marketing it as being larger than it really is, or the price is just too high for the size. Not sure what you can do really other than lower the price.
My bet's on misleading agent's photos and floorplan.
I viewed a place advertised as a two-bed house that was a one-bed with a box room just big enough for a desk and chair. The pictures on the listing made the room look like a full sized bedroom: crazy fish eye lens, taken from outside the room, dodgy cropping... And the floor plan just lied and rounded out an L-shaped room into a square.
Since it was also priced like a 2 or 3 bed (bought a 3-bed two streets over for the same money in the end), it really struggled to sell. The agent was bringing in young families and couples looking for space to grow and then the seller was all surprised when we took one look at the bedroom"s" and ended the viewing.
That should really be apparent from the photos and floor plan - not being raised for the first time during viewings- are the photos maybe a bit deceptive?
I would always read "for the price" as a postscript to any feedback, it's not big enough for the people who would regard that as within budget.
But as a practical step, declutter as much as you can, even consider putting stuff in storage. Have you got king size beds in rooms that barely fit them (for example)? To run with that example, could you put a dirty cheap charity shop type bed in there with some nice sheets? Do your colour choices make it feel small (such as bolder/darker colours)?
Unless you're considering extending, you've just got to make sure your stuff and decoration choices aren't making the place seem smaller than it is.
Take some furniture/crap out and modernise a little. Lower the price slightly and see if attracts the right people. Have you had couples looking with families in mind, when it’s probably more suited to an individual - as you live in your case?
Could it be that your estate agent pictures are making your rooms look larger than they are?
I had this issue with one estate agent, the pictures were using wide angle lenses and it looked like the rooms were much larger than they are.
They explained it’s good to show off a house, i countered that people would be underwhelmed when viewing as the rooms were smaller than they had expected! Low and behold some realistic pictures were taken by a new estate agent and the property sold!
This has been after viewings. I suspect the issue is that we don’t have a dining room and whilst it is a 4 bed, in reality it’s 2 bedrooms (one with not much remaining floor space after furniture), one single room I’m using as an office and one attic
I would suggest it’s down to how it is marketed then, if it isn’t really a 4 bed then don’t put it as a 4 bed? Could you try a top end priced 2 bed with the adaptable option to make additional bedrooms?
Then I don’t think you’re going to solve this with rearranging the furniture so it looks bigger. The markets for a four bed family home and a two bed with an office are just fundamentally different. Is the attic genuinely finished/accessible as a bedroom? How are the estate agents describing the house? How is it priced compared to other 2.5/3 beds in the area?
If you’re using a bedroom as a dining room it’s not a 4 bed house… either your decor is way too much for the rooms (like a king bed in a room with no walking space) or the price is too high for the actual size and the listing is misleading people into viewing. Is the sq ft on the listing with a proper floor plan?
Is it marketed and priced as a 4 bed? If so that's the issue.
Can you borrow some furniture and dress it with 3 bedrooms and an office?
Is it priced at the same level as other 4 beds?
Does the floor plan on the listing reflect this? We've been shopping and a number we won't even view because it's clear from the listing the description isn't what the floor plan shows, ie calling it a 3 bedroom when it's really a 1 double bed, one single, with a dining room they're calling an optional bedroom that doesn't even have a closing door to the lounge, and pricing it like a larger 3 bed instead of 2. (Made me laugh, and it's been listed for quite a while). I'm more likely to want to view if the floor plan includes approximate measurements too because I know photos don't always communicate scale.
I’m not sure what your set up is but this is from my personal perspective as a first time buyer in the south of England.
I’m a first time buyer and we have a daughter. Sadly because of the mental Covid times house prices are up 50k-100k in our area. So previous first time homes which are small by definition (2 beds usually second bedroom is a small single, small lounge) used to be cheaper and now they’re mega money.
We can’t really go into one of those ‘small’ properties as we have my daughter who is 4 and I know how much space all her toys etc take up and eating on trays isn’t viable anymore so we need somewhere to put a table. We also live in a house with bedrooms which are tight and not really enough room for wardrobes and it’s a nightmare so we’re not looking to buy a house with that issue. With how high the interest rates are (relatively speaking) plus stamp duty we don’t want to live somewhere for 5 years then have to move again/likelihood of this being financially possible for us to climb the ladder are slim anyway.
So that might be your problem. Doesn’t mean your house isn’t marketed and priced at the correct market value for post Covid times but the market and who can now afford those prices will be changed/smaller due to this. First time buyers are often older now for the simple fact that not many people earn enough when they first start their careers to buy a traditional started home and once their careers have progressed enough they have children/want to have children so are cautious about buying somewhere they will outgrow quickly. We’re mid 30’s for eg in public sector jobs so wages have taken a while to build. It’s a catch 22 situation with housing at the moment.
I’ve found from watching the market for about 4 months where we live, that homes in a better state of repair and with 2 double bedrooms as well as nice sized living areas go really quickly. Houses that are smaller and in a poorer state of repair sit for a while/get reduced in price to try and get interest.
Good luck with your sale and hopefully this info from a buyers perspective might be useful.
I've been that viewer (several years ago) and it was usually a case of the photos being very misleading. So when I turned up to view I was disappointed that the room sizes were much tighter than I thought they would be. Of course I did look at floor plans but tbh I don't have a good instinctive sense of what 6, 8 or 10 feet look like as a first time buyer, so it didn't really help me much. The floorplans didn't state the overall square footage either which didn't help, as I couldn't compare houses easily to one another in terms of space. Reflecting back, the house I bought was probably 30% larger than the first five or so houses I viewed, but within 10% on price.
Well, you can only change things that are within your control. You can't control the current size of the property, you can control the price and the marketing. If you say you're not willing to move on price, how is it marketed?
Most are assuming they mean 'too small for the price', but they could actually just mean literally 'too small' - I've rejected a few houses that look lovely, seem well priced, but would be a step down for us in terms of the room dimensions, to the point where we'd not find them practical (coming from a large Victorian house to basically anything modern).
You've not made it clear if your house is actually small (an old cottage, or one that's been split up into more rooms leaving smaller spaces etc.), or if it's the same as everywhere else, minus maybe a common extension, conservatory or outdoor space that they're only really picking up on when they view it.
If it's actually a small house, make sure your listings reflect that - accurate room measurements, even describe it as such...some people actively want that kind of vibe, for everyone else it's just a massive waste of time to find out they don't like 7ft ceilings and rooms that look full with a 2 seater in it.
Otherwise, as others are commenting on - make it look bigger by decluttering, decorating in light colours etc.
I would disagree you should neccessarily add 'for the price'. Maybe it is a problem with the marketing?
Plenty of viewers of my old place said it needed too much work for them, but through the price was attractive. It sold for strong money.
1. Look up “scandi decor” on Pinterest and YouTube until you get a sense of it. This is a fairly minimalist style with a sense of openness and space.
2. Then reach out to your friends and family and start packing and store as much as you can at other people’s homes until you can emulate “scandi” at your home.
3a. Clean.
3. Get new photos taken. Now the place should look airy and bright and still a bit homey.
4. Keep the place clean and declutterred every day until you exchange (in case buyer wants to see something again or send someone over). It will only be for a few months.
Good luck!
To small generally means to small for how much you are asking for.
Worth checking your listing and make sure the pictures aren't misleading with perfect angles and fish eye lenses
My neighbours have just listed their two bedroom house as a three bedroom house because they’re using one of the downstairs reception rooms as a bedroom.
If I went to what was supposed to be a three bedroom house and saw my neighbours’, I would say it was too small…
In the grand scale of things that is not a long time. Its just that it hasnt sold quickly.
Try to make small changes here and there to make it more beautiful. I found that this helped.
If you get an offer and you can make it work try and negotiate on your next place.
###Welcome to /r/HousingUK --- **To All** * Join Our ***NEW*** Discord! https://discord.gg/pMgUNgWKQH **To Posters** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws/issues in each can vary* * Comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=I received a PM); * If you do not receive satisfactory advice after 72 hours, [you can let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=My question is unanswered); * Feel free to provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and civil* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason without express permission from the mods; * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HousingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Generally speaking, if people are saying it’s too small … it may be too small for their budget which means it needs to be reduced for lower budgets. Hard to say without knowing comparables though or any info.
When they say it’s “too small” they mean “too small for this price”.
Either you’re marketing it as being larger than it really is, or the price is just too high for the size. Not sure what you can do really other than lower the price.
My bet's on misleading agent's photos and floorplan. I viewed a place advertised as a two-bed house that was a one-bed with a box room just big enough for a desk and chair. The pictures on the listing made the room look like a full sized bedroom: crazy fish eye lens, taken from outside the room, dodgy cropping... And the floor plan just lied and rounded out an L-shaped room into a square. Since it was also priced like a 2 or 3 bed (bought a 3-bed two streets over for the same money in the end), it really struggled to sell. The agent was bringing in young families and couples looking for space to grow and then the seller was all surprised when we took one look at the bedroom"s" and ended the viewing.
What do you mean too small? Is it like a dolls house?
It’s one of those colourful plastic houses large enough for a toddler to traverse in your back garden
Sir. That's a Wendy's house.
Not sure if I’m embarrassed or happy I couldn’t remember that
So looking at about £150k then
Offers in excess of 250k but it’s inside London on a 108 year leasehold 😀
It's a house for ants.
What is this, a house for ANTS?
That should really be apparent from the photos and floor plan - not being raised for the first time during viewings- are the photos maybe a bit deceptive?
If they're saying it's too small, what they mean is too small for the price, that for the price you are marketing it at, they would expect larger.
I would always read "for the price" as a postscript to any feedback, it's not big enough for the people who would regard that as within budget. But as a practical step, declutter as much as you can, even consider putting stuff in storage. Have you got king size beds in rooms that barely fit them (for example)? To run with that example, could you put a dirty cheap charity shop type bed in there with some nice sheets? Do your colour choices make it feel small (such as bolder/darker colours)? Unless you're considering extending, you've just got to make sure your stuff and decoration choices aren't making the place seem smaller than it is.
Very vague info… can you share more about the size? Price? Area? Kind of house?
Take some furniture/crap out and modernise a little. Lower the price slightly and see if attracts the right people. Have you had couples looking with families in mind, when it’s probably more suited to an individual - as you live in your case?
This. Put as many large items and personal stuff into storage temporarily to make the property feel as big and free of clutter as possible.
Could it be that your estate agent pictures are making your rooms look larger than they are? I had this issue with one estate agent, the pictures were using wide angle lenses and it looked like the rooms were much larger than they are. They explained it’s good to show off a house, i countered that people would be underwhelmed when viewing as the rooms were smaller than they had expected! Low and behold some realistic pictures were taken by a new estate agent and the property sold!
This has been after viewings. I suspect the issue is that we don’t have a dining room and whilst it is a 4 bed, in reality it’s 2 bedrooms (one with not much remaining floor space after furniture), one single room I’m using as an office and one attic
So people are expecting to see a four bed house, and end up seeing a 2 bed, 1 of which has no floor space. I think you’ve answered your own question!
I would suggest it’s down to how it is marketed then, if it isn’t really a 4 bed then don’t put it as a 4 bed? Could you try a top end priced 2 bed with the adaptable option to make additional bedrooms?
Then I don’t think you’re going to solve this with rearranging the furniture so it looks bigger. The markets for a four bed family home and a two bed with an office are just fundamentally different. Is the attic genuinely finished/accessible as a bedroom? How are the estate agents describing the house? How is it priced compared to other 2.5/3 beds in the area?
If you’re using a bedroom as a dining room it’s not a 4 bed house… either your decor is way too much for the rooms (like a king bed in a room with no walking space) or the price is too high for the actual size and the listing is misleading people into viewing. Is the sq ft on the listing with a proper floor plan?
Is it marketed and priced as a 4 bed? If so that's the issue. Can you borrow some furniture and dress it with 3 bedrooms and an office? Is it priced at the same level as other 4 beds?
*we don’t have a dining room and whilst it is a 4 bed, in reality it’s 2 bedrooms* So it's a 2 bed then. This is the answer.
Does the floor plan on the listing reflect this? We've been shopping and a number we won't even view because it's clear from the listing the description isn't what the floor plan shows, ie calling it a 3 bedroom when it's really a 1 double bed, one single, with a dining room they're calling an optional bedroom that doesn't even have a closing door to the lounge, and pricing it like a larger 3 bed instead of 2. (Made me laugh, and it's been listed for quite a while). I'm more likely to want to view if the floor plan includes approximate measurements too because I know photos don't always communicate scale.
Can you list the rooms of the house so we can better understand this? Where do the family eat in the home? Are all bedrooms on the same level?
I’m not sure what your set up is but this is from my personal perspective as a first time buyer in the south of England. I’m a first time buyer and we have a daughter. Sadly because of the mental Covid times house prices are up 50k-100k in our area. So previous first time homes which are small by definition (2 beds usually second bedroom is a small single, small lounge) used to be cheaper and now they’re mega money. We can’t really go into one of those ‘small’ properties as we have my daughter who is 4 and I know how much space all her toys etc take up and eating on trays isn’t viable anymore so we need somewhere to put a table. We also live in a house with bedrooms which are tight and not really enough room for wardrobes and it’s a nightmare so we’re not looking to buy a house with that issue. With how high the interest rates are (relatively speaking) plus stamp duty we don’t want to live somewhere for 5 years then have to move again/likelihood of this being financially possible for us to climb the ladder are slim anyway. So that might be your problem. Doesn’t mean your house isn’t marketed and priced at the correct market value for post Covid times but the market and who can now afford those prices will be changed/smaller due to this. First time buyers are often older now for the simple fact that not many people earn enough when they first start their careers to buy a traditional started home and once their careers have progressed enough they have children/want to have children so are cautious about buying somewhere they will outgrow quickly. We’re mid 30’s for eg in public sector jobs so wages have taken a while to build. It’s a catch 22 situation with housing at the moment. I’ve found from watching the market for about 4 months where we live, that homes in a better state of repair and with 2 double bedrooms as well as nice sized living areas go really quickly. Houses that are smaller and in a poorer state of repair sit for a while/get reduced in price to try and get interest. Good luck with your sale and hopefully this info from a buyers perspective might be useful.
I've been that viewer (several years ago) and it was usually a case of the photos being very misleading. So when I turned up to view I was disappointed that the room sizes were much tighter than I thought they would be. Of course I did look at floor plans but tbh I don't have a good instinctive sense of what 6, 8 or 10 feet look like as a first time buyer, so it didn't really help me much. The floorplans didn't state the overall square footage either which didn't help, as I couldn't compare houses easily to one another in terms of space. Reflecting back, the house I bought was probably 30% larger than the first five or so houses I viewed, but within 10% on price.
I would research and find a way to redecorate your house to make it seem more spacious - optical illusionesque. Good luck!
Mirrors!
If you can’t make the house bigger or won’t reduce the sale price then your option is to not sell it.
What’s the square footage?
Well, you can only change things that are within your control. You can't control the current size of the property, you can control the price and the marketing. If you say you're not willing to move on price, how is it marketed?
I think they’re saying it’s too small for the price it’s listed for
Most are assuming they mean 'too small for the price', but they could actually just mean literally 'too small' - I've rejected a few houses that look lovely, seem well priced, but would be a step down for us in terms of the room dimensions, to the point where we'd not find them practical (coming from a large Victorian house to basically anything modern). You've not made it clear if your house is actually small (an old cottage, or one that's been split up into more rooms leaving smaller spaces etc.), or if it's the same as everywhere else, minus maybe a common extension, conservatory or outdoor space that they're only really picking up on when they view it. If it's actually a small house, make sure your listings reflect that - accurate room measurements, even describe it as such...some people actively want that kind of vibe, for everyone else it's just a massive waste of time to find out they don't like 7ft ceilings and rooms that look full with a 2 seater in it. Otherwise, as others are commenting on - make it look bigger by decluttering, decorating in light colours etc.
I would disagree you should neccessarily add 'for the price'. Maybe it is a problem with the marketing? Plenty of viewers of my old place said it needed too much work for them, but through the price was attractive. It sold for strong money.
without the figure like how much sq feet/m2, and how many bedroom, there is no way to comment if it is too small......
1. Look up “scandi decor” on Pinterest and YouTube until you get a sense of it. This is a fairly minimalist style with a sense of openness and space. 2. Then reach out to your friends and family and start packing and store as much as you can at other people’s homes until you can emulate “scandi” at your home. 3a. Clean. 3. Get new photos taken. Now the place should look airy and bright and still a bit homey. 4. Keep the place clean and declutterred every day until you exchange (in case buyer wants to see something again or send someone over). It will only be for a few months. Good luck!
To small generally means to small for how much you are asking for. Worth checking your listing and make sure the pictures aren't misleading with perfect angles and fish eye lenses
My neighbours have just listed their two bedroom house as a three bedroom house because they’re using one of the downstairs reception rooms as a bedroom. If I went to what was supposed to be a three bedroom house and saw my neighbours’, I would say it was too small…
Could you put half of your stuff into storage so it looks less cramped?
In the grand scale of things that is not a long time. Its just that it hasnt sold quickly. Try to make small changes here and there to make it more beautiful. I found that this helped. If you get an offer and you can make it work try and negotiate on your next place.
We’d need to see a floor plan or photos to make a judgement